USA > Illinois > Morgan County > Jacksonville > Historic Morgan and classic Jacksonville > Part 18
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54
Gov. Duncan, in his message to the general assembly in 1835, uttered this signifi- cant thought: "It is yet to be determined whether railroads will be more benefit to the state than the Illinois and Michigan Canal."
At that session Wm. J. Gatewood, a state senator from Gallatin County, and a man of eminent ability, was one of many who earnestly opposed legislation in favor of rail- roads, but, nevertheless, the agitation continued, and in 1839 the completion of the first railroad in the state, known as the Northern Cross Railroad, was celebrated. It ex- tended from Jacksonville to Meredosia, a distance of twenty four miles; it was built by the state and laid with flat iron. In 1841 it was extended from Jacksonville to Springfield. In 1847, or later, the road was changed from the square to its present lo- cation.
As to the construction and operation of this incipient Wabash system, known first
105
SEEING "ZE WHEELS GO WOUND."
as the Northern Cross Railroad. The contractors to whom were awarded the bids for the construction of. this road were Miron Leslie, T. T. January, Charles Collins and James Dunlap. Ground was first broken in Meredosia in 1837, with great ceremony and in the presence of a vast concourse of citizens. Speeches were made by Mr. J. E. Waldo and Hon. O. M. Long. Mr. Daniel Waldo was selected to dig the first shovel- ful of dirt, which he did amidst the shouts of the multitude. This labor so exhausted himself and the multitude that no more work was done that day. On the 9th of May 1838, the first rail was laid at Meredosia, and the first engine was put on in October, set up and on the Sth of November the first puff of a locomotive was heard in the great Mississippi Valley, and the first turn of a wheel made, eight miles of the track were completed, and the first train ran to the extent of the completed track and back, carry- ing Daniel Waldo, Joseph E. Thompson, Engineer Fields and Joseph Higgins. This trip greatly delighted those interested in the road and asgreatly astonished the dwellers along the line and all day wondering crowds of gaping rusties, stood and gazed on the "thing" and wondered what made "ze wheels go wound." Among the first engineers was the late Verien Daniels, whose encounter with a belligerent Taurus, is quite amus- ing. In February 1842, the first train of cars from here went into Springfield, and the San. gamo Journal of March 11th, of that year, boasts of the immense utility to its citizens and the traveling community of getting from Springfield to St. Louis in a day and a night! Wagons were a thing of the past, so far as speed of travel was concerned. The route to St. Louis was from Springfield to Meredosia by the train and from Meredosia by steamer to St. Louis. The road, though accommodating, would not pay and when at one time the engineer ran the engine off the track, east of Jacksonville, it was aban- cloned and lay there nearly a year. It was afterward bought by Gen. Semples, of Alton, and a new set of wheels, with tires about two feet wide placed thereon, and it made one trip from Alton to Springfield as a steam road wagon. The two broad parallel tracks over the prairies were thought to be the tracks of some huge serpent and two men actu- ally followed it to Springfield to see "what kind of a critter it might be."
Mr. J. W. Lathrop relates of this road:
The first engine used on this road was called the "Pioneer," and was about as power- ful as a good-sized tea-kettle, and frequently got stalled with one freight and one passen- ger car. The road was finished only from Meredosia to Jacksonville, and sometimes they made a round trip in twenty-four hours and sometimes in forty eight hours.
Many of the country people called it the "bullgine." I never knew the reason why unless it was because a two- year-old bull, owned by a family who lived about three miles west of town, would some times dispute the right of the way, but was finally overpow . ered and killed, which so exasperated its owner and his wife that they put soft soap on the track, which effectually stopped the train.
After the abandonment of the engine, mule power was brought into requisition to haul the cars, but the travel on stage line surpassed the "mule railroad," and the road bed went unrepaired, the strap rails were stolen for sled soles, and in 1847 the road was sold, at the door of the State Capitol, to Col. T.Mather, N. II. Ridgely, James Dunlap and ex-Gov. Joel Matteson for $100,000-one-tenth its original cost. The purchase money was paid in state bonds issued in aid of its construction, which the state was obliged to accept, though not worth twenty cents on the dollar. The new organization went vigorously to work, repaired the road-hed, put down the "C" rail, purchased three new engines, new and better cars, removed the track from our publie square and State Street to the present site, north of the city, and by the autumn of 1849 daily trips were wade between Meredosia and Springfield. From this primitive beginning, the differ- ent sections of the now Wabash road started, and finally came the mergement of them all into the great Gould system, one of the main thoroughfares of the commerce of the nation.
A railroad incident of those days now under consideration is as follows:
At one time the Great Western Railroad wished to pay off its hands on the section west of Jacksonville. Early one fine morning the pay car was furnished with funds and started on its mission. Soon after its departure the morning mail was opened at
106
HARD TIMES-WILD CAT MONEY-LAND PRICES.
the office and the "detector" at once sent for. It revealed the rather startling fact that nearly all the funds in the pay car were worthless. Nothing remained but to telegraph to Jacksonville, stop the car and order its return to Springfield, and the workmen went without their pay, that time at least.
The people who live in this day of greenbacks and National bank notes, have little idea of the trials and tribulations of the unfortunates who existed during the reign of wild cat banks. A business man was required to keep his "detector" at his elbow, and frequent editions of this book were required to keep pace with the failures. It fre- quently happened that a farmer would board a train at a way station, offer his fare to the conductor, who, on consulting his book, found that the bill was worthless, and the unfortunate agriculturist, having no other funds, had to be carried free.
Elder E. G. Rice, still living a few miles west of our city, once said in a publie ad- dress :
Fifty years ago, and I for the first time gazed on the tall wild grass of our prairies. In the olden times if a man got three or four miles from the timber he thought he had an everlasting fortune, but how is it to-day? I saw the first engine that was plied between Springfield and Naples. They started it with the crow bar, before they would try the strength of the steam on the machinery. If in the short space of forty-five years so much has been accomplished, what may we expect in the next fifty years? I dreamed last night that I was standing with some friends when I saw a huge eagle pass far above us and smoke was coming from the top of its head. I asked my friend what that was and they said that there were three men in that machine. It was an aerial conveyance. This was only a dream, but such a thing in the next fifty years would be no more wonderful than what has been done in the last fifty.
Col. George M. Chambers, one of the few earliest settlers of the city still living here, said, in 1884, to an interviewer of the Illinois Courier:
"In 1837-'38 real estate in and near the city was about as follows: Farm from $20 to $40 per acre; after the crash, owners still held on in hopes of better times. The same lands sold in from 1840 to near 1848 for whatever was offered. The Bradshaw estate was sold in 1846, from $7 to $15 per acre; Chestnut farm is part of it, and the Rector homestead is also part of it. The estate of Smedley was sold about 1848. The home- stead, now the Insane, brought about $20 per acre. I had offered him $40, he wanting $50. His other lands, on Sandy, brought from seventy-five cents to $1 per acre. Vacant lots, and lots with small houses, nearly worthless, owners leaving them vacant and they were destroyed by others. One instance; a house and lot on East Street sold for about $45. The buyer afterwards burned up the flooring and joists, and left it, One more; the eighty acres north of town, adjoining Capps's old factory, was mortgaged to the State Bank for $8,000. After the bank's failure the certificates were worth, first, about twelve and one-half cents; went up to forty cents; I was offered it for $80 per acre in certificates; tried to get my father-in-law to buy it; he declined. Well, you ask, why did you not buy it? Because I had all I could do to pay my own indebtedness. As for other things, being in business. we put out our bill of prices in 1841: $1.75 for hogs weighing 250 lbs .; $1.50 for 225 lbs .; $1.25 for 200 lbs .; $1 for 150 lbs. It being a bad crop year many small ones were bought as low as seventy-five cents per 100; these, if we had thrown them into the river when weighed, would have made us money. Dewees, west, the Cassell neighborhood, east, and the Routt neighborhood, south, refused the offer, and drove to Alton and sold at our offer there, and even at these prices, all lost heavily."
Question .- "What was the general condition of business here when you came to the country?"
"Everything was flush and on a boom, every man bought all the land he could get hold of, and many of them did in this way: At that time the State Bank was permitted to loan money on land, at, say, one-half its value. A man would enter land at $1.25 per acre, handle the appraisers so that they would call it worth $5, and then take the money borrowed, and enter more lands. Of course this kind of business assisted in the destruc- tion of the bank. The crash commenced in the east in 1837, and soon came west, and was the result of over trading. Everything soon became flat. Unimproved lands dropped from $15 per acre to nothing, and other things in proportion. For several years money was very searee and people had a very hard time. Everything was done by barter and a silver dollar looked as big as a grindstone, and it was, too. People had enough to eat and wear, such as it was, but the man who was in debt had a hard time."
107
GAME IN 1838-GRAIN SHIPPING-A MILLERITE.
Mr. J. W. Lathrop has also contributed to the local press recollections of those days from which we extract as follows:
When I came to Illinois game was quite plenty. Deer were often seen grazing with the cattle south of the mound, where Mr. Rice and Mr. Samuel Killam now live, their range being in the timber of Sandy Creek south, and the Mauvaisterre and Indian Creek north. At one time-I think in 1838 or '39-I was riding with J. O. King to Manchester, our horses walking leisurely along in Sandy timber, when within gunshot at our right, we counted fourteen fine deer feeding quietly upon the early spring grass. On our re- turn in the afternoon they were still feeding nearer the road, and a part of them crossed the road just before us. Venison was sold at seventy-five cents to one dollar for the loin and two hind quarters; wild turkeys, twenty five cents each: prairie chickens, fifty to seventy-five cents per dozen; quails were usually sold at twenty-five cents per dozen, although I have known them sold three dozen for fifty cents, and wild pigeons the same price. Potatoes, twelve and one-half cents; turnips, ten cents; corn, ten cents; pork, two cents; eggs, three cents; butter, eight to ten cents.
For many years prairie chickens were very abundant quite near town. I have been out to where the Insane Hospital now is located and shot as many as three or four birds, and got back to seven o'clock breakfast. I usually shot from my horse and never killed more than three at a shot. In the winter of 1836 and '37 they used to come from what was then called "Duncan's big field," northwest of town, to the College Grove, and to Elm Grove (as Gov. Duncan then called his residence) to roost. Gov. Duncan, who was a good shot, once saw a lot of prairie chickens sitting on a rail fence, and returning to his house, took his shotgun and killed fourteen at a single shot.
In 1843 we bought wheat at thirty-five to thirty-seven and one-half cents delivered in Jacksonville; forty cents delivered at Naples, Meredosia, Beardstown, Bath and Havana. We bought one thousand barrels of flour of Ira Davenport and C. Mathews, at $2.25 per barrel. delivered at Naples. We also bought quite a lot of pecan nuts, all of which we shipped to New York, having chartered a steamboat which we Joaded on the Illinois River for New Orleans, where we re shipped on vessel for New York, where we sold the entire cargo, and, counting our exchange at ten per cent. premium, we made $22 profit on the entire lot, and considered ourselves lucky, as we had paid our debts east previously, paying twenty-five per cent premium for exchange. At that time we could get no sacks to ship our grain in; there was no railroad with grain cars as now, and we had to get barrels to ship in. I think we bought one thousand from Mr. Hinrichsen and one thousand from a Mr. Arnold, of Exeter, recently deceased. Some years we bought hemp and wool, to make our payments in New York and Philadephia with, and even up to the time of the Mexican war, at which time Mr. J. H. Bancroft and I were in business together, we bought hemp and wool to ship to meet our payments, which we always did, one hundred cents per dollar, though we sometimes lost money on what we shipped.
As an incident of these times it is narrated that:
In the year 1843 a Mr. H. A. Crittenden came here and lectured on Millerism, and quite a number were made to believe that the world would be destroyed by fire that year.
A man by the name of Phillip Haynes, who lived just northwest of town. hear.} about it and, as his reputation was not above reproach, he was very much worried about his prospects in the hereafter. About that time a large bell had been placed in the tower of the Congregational Church, and on Saturday night it was all ready to be rung. Sev- eral of those present tried it, but no one but J. O. King could "set the bell," and of course a terrible clatter followed, as one after another tried to set it as King had done.
Haynes heard the bell and, with his family, was terribly frightened, so much so that he could not sleep.
The next morning at nine, King rang the bell again for Sabbath School and just at that time, Haynes was mounting his horse to go out deer hunting. Hle was frightened worse than before, dropped his rifle, ran his horse to the nearest neighbor, by the name of Darius Ingalls, and asked him if he heard the strange noises in the air, and if so, what it meant?
Ingalls, who was something of a joker, told him the day of judgment had come, and the sound was to wake up the dead.
Haynes believed it, and early Monday morning was in town trying to sell his farm, but would take nothing but gold or silver. He sold out and moved to St Joseph, Mo., then a new settlement, squatted on Congress land, and in a few years the town had be- come so large that churches were built and bells placed upon them.
The Sigma Pi Society of Illinois College, has the honor of being the first literary society to be organized not only in that institution, but in "the Athens of the West," since then so prolific of such associations.
Samuel Willard and Henry Wing entered college in 1840 and became room-mates.
108
PERSONALS AND PRICES IN 1840.
Their apartment became the centre of spontaneous conversational gatherings of mem- bers of classes of '42 to '46, wherein topics of literature, theology, politics, philosophy, &c., were discussed. These informal meetings led to the formation of "Sigma Pi" just at the close of the school year '42-'43. The constitution was a paper originally prepared by Willard and Wing. From its official catalogue issued in 1882, we learn that its membership to that date, 663, includes 87 of the then alumni of the college. Its roll of patriot dead during the war for the union, numbered 10, out of the 104 that were in the volunteer service of their country.
The following items of the "Tip and Tyler" year, were compiled for the Journal by Mr. Ensley Moore, of our city.
Wm. Hamilton kept a bakery, Joseph Capps had recently established himself in the wool-carding business, E. T. Miller was a prominent carpenter, David Cole and James Cosgrove were blacksmiths, B. F. Gass was a carpenter, J. S. Anderson was a cabinet maker as was Wm. Branson, D. B. Ayers kept a drug store, Robert Hockenhull was clerking for Reed & King (J. O.) druggists, Thos. W. Melendy was a carpenter, Mat- thew Stacy sold harness, Talma Smith came to town with his father, Thomas Smith, who was a shoemaker, James Buckingham was a plasterer, David C. Creamer, Samuel Hunt and William Lewis were tailors, Cornelius Hook was a merchant, Israel, Taggart Smith were another firm, Col. Jas. Dunlap, of the firm of January & Dunlap, was building the railroad, as contractor, Jonathan Neely was in the same line, Edward Scott was farming near town, and Wm. H. Broadwell was learning his trade as blacksmith.
Josiah M. Lucas was editor of the Illinoisian and the Goudy's had a job office.
Rev. T. M. Post was in charge of the Congregational Church; Rev. R W. Gridley was pastor, (and succeeded by Rev. Wm. H. Williams, ) of the First Presbyterian Church, and Rev. Andrew Todd, of the Second Presbyterian, which finished its church building this year, (1840 )
The First Baptist Church was organized in 1841, by Rev. Alvin Bailey.
John T. Jones was, probably, elder in charge of the Christian Church.
'The Methodist society worshipped in a brick church on Morgan Street, near East Street.
Rev. W. G. Heyer was rector of the Episcopal Church.
John Cooper was postmaster, and charged 123 cents per quarter year for box rent.
A. F. and A. M., Harmony Lodge, No. 3, was chartered.
The Jacksonville Mechanics Union loaned money at 12 per cent. per annum in 1841.
E. T. Goudy and Miss Catherine McMackin were united in marriage, July 1st, 1840, by Rev. L. Lyons.
Drs. M. M. L. Reed, Nathaniel English, Thomas Munroe, Archimedes Smith and Henry Jones were prominent physicians.
Reed & King's store was in Goltra & Stryker's building, southwest corner of the square.
Hard times were very fashionable. One house and lot purchased in 1840 depre- ciated one half in value during next two years.
John Adams, LL. D., since known as "Father Adams," was principal of the Female Academy.
The following boys entered Illinois College, in September: D. S. Baker, Rochester; N. Bateman, College Hill; T. K. Beecher, Walnut Hills, O ; Wm. C. Merrit, Winches- ter; John T. Morton, Quincy; Wickliffe Price, and W. H. Sigler, Jacksonville; H. W. Starr, Alton; C. F. Thayer, Springfield.
Board was furnished students at from $1 to $2 per week. Those who desired it could "get plainer board at a cheaper rate." Washing cost 50 cents per dozen. The total annual expense of a student was estimated at $103, excluding clothes and books.
John T. Pierce offered his services in preparing young men for college, terms $5 per quarter. His vacations were to be six weeks from August 1, one from February 14, and one week from May 11.
Jacksonville luxuriated in a daily mail, and people paid 25 cents postage on a letter from Philadelphia, and 12 cents from Quincy. Postage was paid by sender, or recipient, according to the sender's notion or pocket.
There was a branch of the State Bank of Illinois situated in Jacksonville, of which Henry D. Town was teller. In 1840 Mr. Town was married to an estimable young lady of this place.
Imperial tea sold at $1.50 per lb., butter 12} cents per lb , molasses 50 cents per gal- lon, candles 19 cents a lb., flour $4 per bbl., in 1840.
In 1841, oak wood was cut for house use at 62 cents per cord, white lead sold at 12} cents per lb., chickens 13 cents each, domestic at 12} cents per yard, a horse was used three days for $1.60, calico cost 31 cents per yard, sugar 123 cents per lb., one venison ham, cured, cost 75 cents, spool cotton 8 cents, black satin ribbon 19 cents per yard,
109
OLD TIME PRICES-A FIRE COMPANY.
pearl buttons 10 cents per dozen, bleached shirting 25 cents per yard, cotton velvet 75 cents per yard, eggs 6 cents der dozen, "1 dozen bunches Loco Focos 63 cents," bacon 6! cents per lb., coffee 20 cents per lb , brown Holland 38 cents per yard, black bombazine $1 per yard, figured bobinet 76 cents per yard, skein silk 12 cents, 1 pair boot lacings 6 cents, starch 19 cents per lb., Seidlitz powders 50 cents per box, linseed oil $1 per gallon, arrow root 74 cents per lb., British lustre 13 cents, enstile soap 38 cents per lb., 1 corn broom 25 cents, whisky 40 cents per gallon, sperm candles 62 cents per lb., eggs 5 cents per dozen.
"The Morgan House" was what is called the Park now, and it was a ' stage office " The Western House, corner West State Street and the square, on Central Bank location, was also a favorite stopping place
Dennis Rockwell's residence, now occupied by his son Charles, was the only noticea- ble house between the Ellis House now Mrs. C. McDonald's, and Governor Duncan's "seat." Duncan's house, Mrs. McDonald's and Mrs. Dr. Cassell's, were all built about 1836.
John B. A. Reid's father owned most of the land between Rockwell's and Caldwell Street, and there was a "run" across State Street between L. W. Chambers' and W. S. Hook's houses.
Boys going to college from town had to climb the fence to get into the college lot, opposite O. D. Fitzsimmons' house.
Wm. C. Swett had a printing office in the town.
August 13th, Ira Davenport was elected sheriff and Robert S. Anderson, corouer. This was at the general election, which occurred earlier in the year than now.
¿ Before the building of the present admirable system of water works, Jacksonville was without an adequate supply of this most necessary article in case of an extensive conflagration. Volunteer firemen and other citizens promptly turned out when a fire alarm was given, and generally subdued the flames and saved their homes from de- struction. The legislative act of 1835 for the incorporation of fire companies led to the formation of the first regularly organized fire company, on the 23d of April, 1840.
The names of its members show that its numbers were composed of some of the best citizens of the place. The buildings were generally of wood, mostly of a small size, and but few disastrous fires occurred. Their equipment consisted of a double- decked hand-engine. It was a very heavy "machine," and required quite a number of hands to work it. The same engine, with some improvements, is still used when occa- sion require. In addition to the old "Union" engine, the company had several hun- dred feet of hose, buckets, ladders, axes, and other necessary equipments. As the list of members comprising this company will be of interest to the readers of these pages, it is here inserted. Since that company was organized one of its members has been a United States Senator, another a member of Congress, several mayors, two judges, several town trustees and aldermen, two postmasters, one sheriff, several county assessors or clerks, one United States consul-general, several trustees of state and educational insti- tutions, while nearly, if not all, have been prominent and useful citizens. We doubt whether any community ever had a better fire company. Those marked * are now num- bered with the great company in the Silent Land :
James Berdan,* Morris Collins,* J. D. Stone, A. V. Putman,* Stafford Smith, Jos. O. King, James II. Lurton, B. B. Chamberlain,* Robert Hockenhull, Thomas Anderson,* James Stark, William French,* William Branson, John Hurst .* D. P. Palmer, Orlando C. Cole, John Fisher, J. A. MeDougall,* Nicholas Milburn,* Patrick Cresap,* JJ. John- son, Samuel Galbraith,* F. Campbell, J. McAlister,* John W. Goltra,* C. B. Clarke, 1. D. Rawlings, Timothy D. Eames,* Henry Keener, J. Harris, Morton Mallory, F. Stev- enson,* I. S. Hicks,* William S. Hurst,* G. A. Dunlap,* J. S. Anderson, Benjamin F. Gass, B. F. Stevenson, D. A. Bulkley,* A. C. Dickson, B. R. Houghton,* S. Hunt,* James Hurst,* William G. Wilson, Geo. Henry,* S. H. Henderson, Moore C. Goltra,* Phillip Coffman,* R. S. Anderson,* John Mathers,* J. W. McAlister, R. Bibb,* Michael Rapp,* Geo. M. Chambers, William H. Corcoran,* J. A. Graves, L Berry, John W. Chambers, H. S. Carson,* J. Harkness,* David Smalley, M. A. J. Hunter, A. Smith, William Smal. ley, W. W. Happy,* J. T. Jones,* Cornelius Goltra, Stephen Sutton,* W. Patterson,* F. C. Sutton, A. Lohr,* J. Cosgrove,* William C. Gwin, W. Akins,* E. T. Miller,* John Henry,* John Gregory,* L. Filson, Eli Harp,* W. B. Warren,* W. Braidwood,* A. W.
110
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.